Adding a dragon to the party?

[Grimmjow]

I've been trying to get my groups dragon born more involved. What i think I've come up with is giving him something to love, a colbolt dragon wyrmling. I think he would love it, to have a dragon on his side, thinking of him as a mother (or father) id still run the dragon, being it is a monster still. Im just looking for ideas on how to make it better.
The reason I'm using a colbolt dragon is because they live close to the shadowfel and they are in the shadowfel right now, so i can have them find the egg, and then hatch at a later date. He'll have no idea what it is until it hatches, which will make it fun.
There is the chance that he won't want to be the father of a newly born dragon, which would be even better and i really hope thats what happens, that way he it would be one of those growing relationships. anyway, any ideas?

 

[Quickleaf]

I'd treat it initially as just a plot device/role-play opportunity. After bonding with the wyrmling it provides a passive benefit akin to a familiar. After training it for months it provides the active benefit a familiar would. After raising it for a year or more then it might become a companion NPC or fly off.

 

[Trit One-Ear]

I don't mean to be a nay-sayer, but I think there are probably simpler ways to get your party's dragonborn more involved that introducing an element that could potentially upset the party/game balance. If you are set on the dragon idea (can't lie, my players loved finding a pet dragon in a one-shot adventure we did once) I agree with [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION] ; make it more a plot device, and make it's impact on the rules minimal.

If your player playing your dragonborn has given you a character background of any kind (I prefer asking for at least bullet points about a character's past life) you could trying using that to involve them more directly. Family members/old friends/old enemies showing up in some way can be an easy way to get them to care more about a quest or adventure.

For something more long-term, you could give them a very personal stake in the adventure; perhaps a curse or disease they need to lift. Again, plot-devicey stuff works better here than mechanicy stuff, but perhaps a small penalty could be a numerical way to inspire him to care.

All this being said, if you think your player would jump at the chance to roleplay raising a dragon, go for it. Just be cautious of adding a powerful NPC to the party full-time. Nothing makes players feel overpowered or more unnecessary than having a powerful ally that does too much for them.

Trit

 

[Arctic Wolf]

I agree with Quickleaf and just want to add in that if you go up against predatory monsters, have them go after the baby first because, well, thats what predators do. This could help involve that dragonborn more since he will protect it (hopefully). And if he doesn't protect it, it might get along with a different member of the group or maybe run off and come back as a future enemy. If you choose the later, you could make it emotional by having it come back half corrupted by dark magic, like a dracolich or something else *evil*, and maybe this will have him think back of how he could of been better. Idk just throwing somethings out there

 

[Unwise]

The Chaos Scar adventure "The Wayward Wyrmling" is basically an adventure pretty about about just this. It sounds like your in paragon tier, so maybe replace the Kobolds with Dragonborn Tiamut cultists and your set. Of course that adventure tries to make the wyrmling a credible threat itself, which you might have to tinker with.

In one of my games a Dragonborn Sorcerer has a dragon (from the adventure above) who is his apprentice. The dragon has not been raised to unlock its draconic potential, not having a mother to teach it how hunt etc. So he has taken on that role. It works well since his entire class is based around unlocking Draconic power within your blood.

 

[chitzk0i]

You could look at the Fey Beast Tamer theme and use those pets to inform the power level it should be at. In paragon, you might want to look at the power level of Vidalis Griffon Master. You might be able to refluff/hack that to suit your purposes.

 

[Grimmjow]

I'd treat it initially as just a plot device/role-play opportunity. After bonding with the wyrmling it provides a passive benefit akin to a familiar. After training it for months it provides the active benefit a familiar would. After raising it for a year or more then it might become a companion NPC or fly off.

Yay, that sounds good. But now my question is how to RP as this little guy??

 

[Grimmjow]

something just flashed through my mind while i was getting ready for school. What if i used artifact rules, allowing only bite and claw to be used until the dragon like him more. Of course id have to make the tiers of the dragon's happiness much higher than a normal artifact.

What do you guys think about that??

 

[Herobizkit]

Yay, that sounds good. But now my question is how to RP as this little guy??

Dragons Are People Too.

Here's a few ideas:

a) as an Animal. Until it gets old enough to speak, it's just like any other piece of livestock - it has a temper, can be belligerent, demands attention, and will likely try to assert its dominance in the group... like any pet might.

b) as a Child. Even though it's in a tiny body, it's born with Human intelligence. Make it as curious and as obnoxious as a real child.

c) as a God. It knows it's a Dragon, and it knows that it will become one of the fiercest creatures to walk the realms. Even though it's a baby, make it act as though it's already a great wyrm dragon.

d) as any other NPC. Roll up its interests, hobbies etc. (and even backs tory, which wouldn't make sense to players but it's all in the Dragon's shared subconscious of Dragon-ness [which I just made up.])

e) as a reincarnated NPC. Someone got their just reward... or punishment.

f) as a Pokemon. 'Nuff said.

Whatever you choose, make sure the Dragon takes center stage only in a particular scene; don't make it the focus of an adventure.

 

[Quickleaf]

something just flashed through my mind while i was getting ready for school. What if i used artifact rules, allowing only bite and claw to be used until the dragon like him more. Of course id have to make the tiers of the dragon's happiness much higher than a normal artifact.

What do you guys think about that??

I'm sure you could do that, but I think there's more benefit to leaving it as a roleplay thing.

Yay, that sounds good. But now my question is how to RP as this little guy??

Just checking the FR Wiki on cobalt dragons lead me to...

Cobalt dragons are grim and sullen in demeanor, the fierce cobalt dragons measure success by the territories they rule and the lesser creatures they subjugate. They suffer no traveler to pass through their lands without bending knee and acknowledging their power, and anyone who refuses quickly comes to regret that error. Most cobalts rule over barbaric tribes or small, remote settlements, exacting instant obedience through claw, fang, and icy breath.

So as the baby cobalt dragon matures you might emphasize its moodiness and have it make comical attempts at dominance.

It fiercely glowers over the dragonborn PC and wakes him up in the middle of the night in a "I've got you pinned" pose. Once put back in it's place (or appeased) the baby dragon snuggles against the PC to go back to sleep.

It attempts to roar and breath cold at the same time and sneezes so hard it knocks itself over. Maybe freezes it's mouth shut for a time.

It decides one piece of treasure is it's "hoard" and can be found curled around it at night making weird baby velociraptor noises as it dreams of defending it's hoard.

It provokes fights with the wizard's familiar or the ranger's animal companion, only to gets it's ass kicked...at least initially.

When in a frosty, craggy, or shadowy terrain, it suddenly bars the PCs path for a bit of instinctive "this is my turf, pay the tithe mortals" play. If the PCs ignore the baby dragon wails loudly, alerting nearby monsters. If they play it's game maybe thy can teach it a trick (using the 3e Handle Animal skill guidelines).